1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a humidity adjusting apparatus using a desiccant, which can easily adjust a dehumidifying volume, and more particularly, to a humidity adjusting apparatus with an improved structure that can increase an amount of a desiccant received in a limited space, resultantly increasing or decreasing humidifying and/or dehumidifying volumes.
2. Description of the Related Art
A general humidity adjusting apparatus uses a desiccant to increase or decrease the humidity in a room or other enclosure. The desiccant is a substance that has a high affinity for water and is used as moisture absorbent. The desiccant absorbs moisture from ambient air in a common state, thereby making the air dry. The moisture is then evaporated by means of the ambient conditions such as heating, and then the moisture absorbent returns to its original state. As the desiccant repeats to absorb moisture and be dried, the moisture is moved from one spot to another spot, thereby controlling humidity in a system that is a desired indoor space. The desiccant is designed to absorb moisture in air when surface vapor pressure is less than partial pressure of ambient air and to discharge moisture when the surface vapor pressure is less than the partial pressure of the ambient air.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,148,374 discloses such a humidity adjusting apparatus using a desiccant. The humidity adjusting apparatus disclosed in the patent has a desiccant wheel in which the circular desiccant is received. The desiccant wheel is designed to periodically rotate in the wheel so as to absorb and discharge moisture from and to air being introduced.
However, the desiccant wheel receiving a desiccant has a shape of a circular flat plate that two-dimensionally rotates. The humidity adjusting apparatus is operated by absorbing moisture at one side while rotating, and removing moisture at the other side with applying heat. Thus, in order to increase a humidifying or dehumidifying amount for use in a high humid region, the size of the desiccant wheel should be increased. However, if the size of the desiccant wheel is increased, the whole size of the humidity adjusting apparatus itself should be increased resultantly.
In addition, if the humidity adjusting apparatus is enlarged, the manufacture cost for the apparatus is increased and the convenience for using the apparatus becomes worse.